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Post by Jaye Wingard on Oct 14, 2009 1:10:14 GMT -5
"That'll be an even $20," Jaye said, ringing up the book. She glanced at Maggie as she ran the card through the machine and pressed buttons until it spit a receipt at her. She was wondering if Maggie was like Faye, but she didn't have enough observation yet to just blurt out "so do you talk to ghosts too?" like she wanted to. Instead she thought of a way to keep observing Maggie.
"Hey, if you or anyone you know at the high school is interested in a part-time job I usually hire a worker or two to help me run the shop," Jaye said. "My last assistant graduated this summer and went off to college. I was thinking about hiring another. The applicant has to like animals though--including rats and snakes."
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Post by Maggie Russell on Oct 14, 2009 1:16:22 GMT -5
Maggie paid for the book and took the receipt, tucking it away in her sweatshirt pocket along with the book she had just bought. When Jaye said something about hiring high school aged kids, Maggie perked up a little. She did live in Hillcrest Drive, the richest area of town, so it wasn't like her family was hurting for money, but a little extra pocket change was always nice to have. "I'll have to ask my parents" she began before catching sight of a glimmer of silver off to one side. Thinking it was her uncle again, she tried to ignore it, but whoever it was didn't go away.
She half-turned and saw a girl of about 13 years of age with stringy blond hair and sullen blue eyes standing there. She was glaring at one of the only other shoppers in the store with malice. Maggie looked uneasily back to Jaye. "Um...this may be a weird question, but have there been any violent deaths or suicides around here lately?"
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Post by Jaye Wingard on Oct 14, 2009 1:18:25 GMT -5
Jaye beamed and pointed triumphantly at Maggie. "Aha! You see ghosts don't you?!" she exclaimed.
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Post by Maggie Russell on Oct 14, 2009 1:24:04 GMT -5
Maggie blinked and stared numbly at Jaye for a moment.
"Just tell her the truth kiddo." It was her uncle again, having materialized at her elbow.
"No" she whispered, before repeating it louder for Jaye's benefit. "No, that's silly. Why would you think that?"
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Post by Jaye Wingard on Oct 14, 2009 1:29:21 GMT -5
Jaye's triumphant smile faded until her mouth was just hanging open. She put her arm down and leaned on her elbows on the counter and tried to frame a coherent reply. When she had confronted Faye about her power the other girl hadn't lied to her, but Jaye could see why it was a big deal to keep it a secret. She herself wasn't cautious enough about her power.
"Because I have a friend who can see and talk to ghosts and she acts just like you've been acting. You've had a ghost following you around in the shop, haven't you? And you're wondering if there's been a violent death to cause a ghost. I don't know about any violent deaths, by the way, but it would be interesting to find out." Jaye watched the girl, waiting for her response, and wondered if she'd lie again. Because Jaye was sure she was right.
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Post by Maggie Russell on Oct 14, 2009 1:34:48 GMT -5
Another mediator...the words bounced around in Maggie's head as Jaye continued to talk. Something about it being interesting to find out if there was a violent death in the area recently to cause a ghost, but Maggie was only half paying attention. For eleven years she had been thinking she was the only one in the world with this power and had had to carry around the burden on her own, only to find out she was entirely wrong.
"You see? There's someone else out there to help you, Mags. Tell her the truth." Scott's tone was firm, with little room for contradiction.
Maggie took a deep breath and released it slowly. She scanned the room, making sure the angry spirit was still there (it was) and then lowered her voice. "Yes, fine, ok, I'm a mediator. Happy?"
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Post by Jaye Wingard on Oct 14, 2009 1:38:53 GMT -5
"Aha!" The triumphant smile was back. "Do you want to meet Faye then? She's right next door. Or did you want to look into violent deaths first? Because Faye might be a bit busy on a Friday afternoon..." Jaye wanted to tell Maggie about her ability too, but remembered how freaked out Faye had been (freaked enough that she hadn't spoken to, and actually had avoided, Jaye for a week) and decided that Maggie was shocked enough already. She'd wait until a more opportune moment to drop that little bombshell on the poor girl.
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Post by Maggie Russell on Oct 14, 2009 1:45:02 GMT -5
Jaye and Faye? Maggie lifted an eyebrow with something of a smirk on her otherwise impassive face. For a brief moment she thought that Jaye might be making Faye up, but then let it slide and looked once more at the girl's ghost. It was beginning to glow and a few books nearby were starting to teter dangerously, which meant the girl's anger was rising. "I think we had better do the investigating now" was her hasty descision. "Scott, can you...I don't know...calm her down or something?" Maggie gave her uncle a pleading look.
Scott gave no response, or any clue that he had heard his niece, other than the fact that he dissappeared immediately, only to reappear next to the other ghost a few feet away.
Maggie saw them talking and the books' trembling began to die down.
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Post by Jaye Wingard on Oct 14, 2009 1:48:36 GMT -5
The teetering books hadn't failed to catch Jaye's attention. She wondered briefly who Scott was before beckoning Maggie around the counter and over to the store's computer. She logged onto the internet and searched for violent deaths.
There had been nothing in the shop as far as Jaye could tell, at least not while herself or her Uncle Kirck had owned it for the past 21 years, but she stopped when she found an article regarding a shooting incident outside the shop. "Is your ghost a young girl? Blond with brown eyes?" Jaye asked curiously.
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Post by Maggie Russell on Oct 14, 2009 1:53:06 GMT -5
Maggie traipsed around the counter and perched on the stool next to Jaye as she looked up the information they needed. It didn't take long. Maggie risked another look at her uncle and the younger girl. They seemed to be having a pleasant enough chat for two dead people. "Yeah" Maggie replied, her gaze still focused away from Jaye and the computer. "Blond hair, brown eyes, about thirteen years old. Does that fit?"
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Post by Jaye Wingard on Oct 14, 2009 2:03:36 GMT -5
"Yep," Jaye replied, skimming the article. "Says she was shot down in front of this place a few years before it was a bookshop, so about 23 years ago. Back then it was a music shop. Says here her parents witnessed a murder and were put in the Witness Protection Program, but their cover was blown and the murderer came after their daughter. It was supposed to be a kidnapping but the girl resisted and the gun went off. The murderer was never caught, though he has a record and his identity was known. The police just couldn't find him." Jaye paused to look at Maggie.
"So question, why is she showing up now, roughly 25 years after she was murdered? I mean, I haven't heard of or seen any paranormal activity around here at all."
Speaking of paranormal activity, Jaye thought as a couple of books on the display tables started rattling again. Tybalt slithered from around her neck and down her arm onto the counter before disappearing under it. She hoped he would stay under the counter and not get squashed by any books.
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Post by Maggie Russell on Oct 14, 2009 2:10:27 GMT -5
Maggie focused solely on what Jaye was telling her and when the summary was wrapped up with a question, Maggie took an elastic band from her wrist and tied back her hair rapidly before answering, "She can only appear here because it's where she died, so my guess is that the bastard who killed her..." she hooked a thumb towards the man sipping a latte and reading a book in the corner, "...is only just stepping foot in here for the first time in 25 years."
Maggie also didn't miss the shaking of the books as it started back up again. This girl was getting on her nerves with all the paranormal stuff. Maggie, with a quick nod to Jaye to inform her she could follow if she wanted, stalked over to where the girl was standing...or floating, rather. "Ok, what gives? You've been staring at the guy for like an hour."
"Maggie" her uncle began warningly, but Maggie ignored him, training her intense brown gaze on the girl's surprised one.
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Post by Jaye Wingard on Oct 14, 2009 2:15:07 GMT -5
Jaye looked quickly at the older man holding a coffee from Faye's shop--he had obviously stepped into the shop through the arch. She was annoyed that she hadn't noticed him earlier as she always liked to know where everyone was in her shop because she was a slightly paranoid person. She only spared the man a glance though before following Maggie over to...well, she supposed the ghosts, as Maggie started speaking to one in a tone that Jaye wasn't sure was wise to use if the ghost was indeed angry. And by all appearances she was.
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Post by Maggie Russell on Oct 14, 2009 2:21:26 GMT -5
The girl's mouth fell open in a comical 'o' shape. "You...you can see me" she asked with a befuddled expression, but that didn't stop her from continuing to shake the books around her out of spite and annoyance, but mostly anger.
Maggie rolled her eyes irritably. It was always the same speil with ghosts. "Yes I can see you" she said shortly, waving aside how bizare that was without a single comment more. "And everyone here can see the books. Someone's going to yell earthquake soon and start panicking. So knock it off and let's talk like civilized people...you do know the meaning of civilized right?"
"Maggie" her uncle said again in a sharper tone, but again, Maggie ignored him, her sole focus being the young girl, whose fists had clenched into tight balls by this point. A nearby mirror on the wall joined the trembling books.
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Post by Jaye Wingard on Oct 14, 2009 2:23:22 GMT -5
"Um, Maggie," Jaye said as she noticed the mirror start shaking "I think you're making it worse..."
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